PhD dissertation defenses will be preceded by a one-hour departmental seminar  open to the academic community and the public. The PhD defense should be announced in the department.

Departmental policy requires that PhD students must remain in the Department on a full-time basis until the thesis has been submitted to the dissertation committee. The only exceptions to this policy are PhD students who have been approved to pursue a part-time program.

Except under extra-ordinary circumstances, the oral defense should be scheduled at least 3 weeks after the distribution of the thesis to the Outside Reader and to the departmental committee.

Ordinarily, the oral defense should be held only after receipt of the Response Form, which indicates acceptance from the Outside Reader. However, if at least 3 weeks have elapsed after the distribution of the thesis to the Outside Reader, and a Response Form from the Outside Reader has not been received, an oral defense can go forward if all members of the PhD Dissertation Committee have no objection. In this case, the DRG will withhold final signature of the M-form until a satisfactory Response Form is received.